419. The Branch will build the Temple
Zechariah 6:12, 13 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. 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.
Jesus Christ is the Branch. Jesus says, “I will build my church.” The Branch will build the temple = Jesus will build the church. The promise assumes the transfer from the physical symbol of the presence of God on the earth (the temple) to the spiritual reality of the presence of God on the earth (the Church). Jesus builds the Church by sending the Holy Spirit into the hearts of believers in Christ. The Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth. We are the recipients of this promise. The Church as a whole is built up and we, as individual members of it, are built up. The Body of Christ is the temple of the Lord; each believer’s body is a temple of the Lord. God is on the earth and we know where to find Him: we find God in the church that preaches the Gospel, and we find God in the witness of each individual believer.
The Branch will bear the glory. This is “Jesus Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The glory is the presence of God in an inglorious world. The Church bears the glory of God. It doesn’t look like it, but it is true. Jesus did not look like glory (He looked to all the world like another human being), except at the Transfiguration. Each of us does not look like glory, but God sees the glory in us. And we see it by faith.
The Branch will sit and rule on the throne. Jesus is fulfilling this promise for us even today, siting at the right hand of God the Father, ruling the world for the good of His people. Again, we don’t see this happening, so the Lord must tell us what is really happening. And He does in the Word and Promise.
The Branch will be a priest on the throne. Jesus is the High Priest and the King. We, His people, are a kingdom of priests, kings and priests unto our God. As Priest, Jesus promises to bring our prayers and needs before the Lord God. The priesthood of all believers does the same thing in Jesus’ name. Jesus promises to rule as king for the purpose of creating and bringing peace to our hearts and relationships. We believers are Lords of all, while we are Servants of all. We exercise His authority over the Enemies and rule in His name in the service of others. We have the promise.