The Priest and King of Zechariah 6

Isaiah tells us that the Lord declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things not yet done (Isa. 46). Jeremiah says that the Lord calls us to pray to him, and he will tell us great and hidden things that we have not known (Jer. 33). The point of all this is that there is a "great mystery" that has been hidden for ages (Eph. 3:9, Col. 1:26). It is the fact that the Gentiles are fellow heirs of the great promises given to the patriarchs, and that through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God would be made known even to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. These great mysteries find their climax in the revelation of Christ, who is our hope of glory and in whom we now have boldness and access as we approach the throne of grace. He has become a priest and a king for us - in one person, he both rules and intercedes on our behalf.

In Zechariah 6, the prophet Zechariah touches on this great mystery. He says Joshua, the high priest, is to be crowned, and then begins to speak of a Branch who will build the Lord's temple and then sit upon a throne with a priest in perfect peace. Upon one throne will be joined divine royalty and holy priesthood.

Simply put: Joshua is a type of the one to come: Christ, the perfect high priest who is also crowned to be king. Joshua is not actually king, but must leave the crown in the temple for remembrance. He wears the crown temporarily so the people of Israel might begin to fathom the One who will bear the offices of both King and High Priest. The Lord's temple is not the temple currently being rebuilt by the people of Israel returned from exile - it is the future spiritual temple that God has assigned the Son to build himself (Matt. 16:18). And finally, this Branch assumes the offices of king and priest because he comes, not from Aaron and the Levitical priesthood, but after the order of Melchizedek, who was both the king of righteousness and peace, as well as a priest forever (Ps. 110, Heb. 7).
 

SDG