9-10 And the word of the Lord came to me: “Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 11-12 Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. And say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord.

13 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honour, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ 14 And the crown shall be in the temple of the Lord as a reminder to Helem (An alternate spelling of Heldai), Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 “And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.” Zechariah 6:9-15 English Standard Version.

The series of visions Zechariah saw were a huge encouragement for those who'd returned to Jerusalem after years in exile, and who were seeking to rebuild the city and its temple. The prophet was now given instructions about some silver and gold that had been given towards the work by those still in exile, and brought by some who’d just returned. What were they to do, and what was unusual about this instruction? (vs 11-12)

The unusual thing was that the word used for 'crown' wasn't the Hebrew word for the turban that crowned the head of the high priest, but rather the word for a crown that was placed upon a king. This idea of a king was taken even further by referring to Joshua the priest as 'the man whose name is the Branch.' Why that's important is because it was a title associated with Israel's promised Messiah.

God had spoken through Isaiah saying: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.” (Isaiah 11:1-2) Jeremiah had foretold that God would cause 'a righteous Branch to spring up for David' who would execute justice and righteousness in the land. (Jeremiah 33:15-16) Even earlier in this book of Zechariah God had said to Joshua: “Hear now, O Joshua the high priest - you and your friends who sit before you - for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch.” (Zechariah 3:8)

So the picture being presented is that 'the branch' who God would raise up would be a priestly king. A king who would bring about God's righteousness. In the New Testament book of Hebrews the writer quotes Psalm 110, which spoke of a priest who would arrive “after the order of Melchizedek.” And he explains that Melchizedek was king of a place called Salem, and a priest of God Most High. He had met Abraham returning from a battle and blessed Abraham. And then he says: “The name 'Melchizedek' means 'king of righteousness'”, and the title “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” (Hebrews 7:1-2)

So while what Zechariah was told to do that day had much significance for Joshua the priest, it was also a strong hint of something greater that would come to fulfilment in the future. Do you think vs 15 also speaks of something that would happen more wonderfully in the future?

The section we're looking at applied to those living then, and along with the promise of help arriving from people living far away, would've given them confidence to finish the task of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Many Christians see it also as a picture of 'a temple' that Messiah would build, which gentiles would be a part of. While some think of a rebuilt 'physical temple' in Jerusalem, many others see it more as a spiritual household. Jesus used the temple in a spiritual way when He said to those who were demanding a miraculous sign: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19) The apostle Peter said to Christians: “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5)