And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.
They that are far off shall come and build. The reason why the crowns were made of gold received from afar-namely, from the Jews of Babylon, was to typify the conversion of the Gentiles to Messiah, King of Israel. This, too, the call of those "that are afar off," was included in the "peace" spoken of in Zechariah 6:13 (Acts 2:39; Ephesians 2:12-17). Primarily, however, the return of the dispersed Israelites "from afar" (Isaiah 60:9), to the king of the Jews at Jerusalem, is intended; to be followed, secondly, by the conversion of the Gentiles from "far off" (Zechariah 2:11; Zechariah 8:22-23; Isaiah 60:10; Isaiah 57:19, "Peace, peace to him that is far off").
And build in the temple of the Lord. Christ "builds the temple" (Zechariah 6:12-13; Hebrews 3:3-4): His people "build in the temple" (cf. Hebrews 3:2, "Moses in his house").
And ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you - when the event corresponds to the prediction. The same solemn formula occurs (Zechariah 2:9; Zechariah 4:9). The Jews' non-recognition of Messiah's divine mission has been the source of all their misery, as it has been their chief sin, and the root of all their other sins. Therefore, their recognition of Him hereafter shall be the source of all their coming blessedness and holiness.
And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God. To the Jews of Zechariah's day a stimulus is given to diligent prosecution of the temple building, the work which it was meanwhile their duty to fulfil, relying on the hope of the Messiah, who should afterward glorify it. The completion of the temple shall "come to pass," if ye diligently on your part "obey the Lord." It is not meant that their unbelief could set aside God's gracious purpose as to Messiah's coming. But there is, secondarily, meant, that Messiah's glory as Priest-king of Israel shall not be manifested to the Jews until they turn to Him with obedient penitence. They meanwhile are castaway "branches" until they be "graffed" in again on the Branch and their own olive tree (Zechariah 3:8; Zechariah 12:10-12; Matthew 23:39; Romans 11:16-24).
Remarks:
(1) The history of the world is all ordered,with a view to the final establishment of Messiah's universal kingdom upon earth. The various events which occur in the providence of God here below are to be regarded as all emanating from the immoveable decrees of God, which are symbolized by the two mountains of solid unyielding brass (Zechariah 6:1). Yahweh from His holy mount sends forth the swift messengers of His will to accomplish the various purposes of His counsel. Some go on errands of mourning and bloodshed (Zechariah 6:2): others are heralds of joy and victory (Zechariah 6:3): others have a mission of a mixed character, partly joyous, partly mournful. But all alike move with powerful and chariot-like fleetness: and all alike subserve the grand end proposed, the glory of God and the final salvation of His people. As it has been well said (Moore), 'Political changes are only the moving of the shadow on the earthly dial-plate that marks the mightiest motions going forward in the heavens.'
(2) When we are at a loss to understand the spiritual meaning of the Word, our wisdom is, like the prophet, humbly, reverently, and teachably, to seek instruction from God (Zechariah 6:4). "If any lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally" (James 1:5).
(3) As the foretold purposes of God concerning the three former world-kingdoms, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece, have been all fulfilled to the letter, so shall they be fulfilled in the destruction of the last and worst form of the God-opposed fourth world-kingdom, Rome. (4) As Satan and his demons "go to and fro in the earth," so do the angelic messengers of, Yahweh "walk to and fro through the earth" (Zechariah 6:7) to counterwork him. This is the consolation of the saints; restlessly active and formidable as are the powers of darkness, they that are on the side of the Church are more powerful than all that are against her; the ultimate issue of the struggle is not dubious; the victory of the Lord and His people is most certain. Not until then shall the Lord's anger be caused to rest, and, His justice having been satisfied in the destruction of all His enemies, His mercy shall have free scope to His, people.
(5) The two crowns set upon Joshua's head symbolize the combination, in the person of Messiah, of both the priesthood and the kingdom. There can be no royal rule of the Lord set up in the heart, unless first there be applied to it the blood of atonement which He offered for us as our great High Priest. He is our antitypical Melchizedek, "the (king) priest of the Most High God." Let us never sever what God hath joined; and, on the one hand let us not think we belong to Him, as our Lord and King, unless we have come to Him as our Priest, who hath reconciled us to God by the sacrifice of Himself: nor, on the other hand, let us suppose that we can have the benefit of His meritorious Priesthood and sacrifice, unless we are willing to submit ourselves, body, and soul, and spirit, to Him as our King.
(6) The gifts of gold and silver presented to the temple by the Jews from Babylon, and converted into the crowns which were put upon, the high priest, foreshadow the time when Israel's outcasts shall come from the various lauds of their dispersion afar off to Messiah, their Priest-King (Zechariah 6:10-11). Already the Gentiles, who were once "far off" (Zechariah 6:15; Ephesians 2:17), are coming and building in the spiritual temple of the Lord. But the fully manifested glory of Messiah and His Church shall not be, until He shall "restore the kingdom to Israel" (Acts 1:6). Then shall all eyes with adoring joy "behold the man" (Zechariah 6:12) of whom once Pilate in contempt said, "Behold the man!" (John 19:5).
(7) He, as THE BRANCH, once a "tender plant," but then about to be the fully, matured tree, under whose shadowing boughs "shall dwell all fowl of every wing" (Ezekiel 17:23), shall not merely build in the temple but "even He shall build the temple of the Lord" (Zechariah 6:13). He shall not merely bear the crowns, like Joshua the type, but "He shall bear the glory." It shall be an "exceeding and eternal weight of glory," too great for mere mortal to bear, but not too weighty for the infinite Yahweh-Jesus to bear. His people, by union with Him, shall share in the blessed burden of glory, as He, and they after Him, have borne the trying burden of the cross.
(8) When Christ sits as the King-Priest upon His throne (Zechariah 6:13), the "counsel" of God shall be realized in the establishment of "peace," between the seemingly conflicting claims of God's justice as a King and God's mercy as a Father and Priest. From this harmonious union flows "peace" to them that are afar off, and to them that are nigh. When Israel, which has so long rejected Messiah, "shall obey the voice of the Lord" (Zechariah 6:15), and acknowledge that "the Lord of hosts hath sent" Jesus to be the Saviour and "King of the Jews" thee shall the spiritual temple be completed, and the glory of Messiah be fully manifested to Israel, and through her to the remotest Gentiles.
(9) Meanwhile let us remember, every exertion, prayer, and self-denying gift, for the setting up of Messiah's kingdom among the Jews and the pagan, shall be, like the crowns of Hen, Helem, Tobijab. and Jedaiah, laid up "for a memorial in the temple of the Lord" above (Zechariah 6:14). Like the general body of the Jews in Babylon, we may not be able to go in person to the mission fields; but we can, like them, send our representatives to act in our stead, and to hasten the time when Jesus shall wear his many crowns. "Diligent obedience to the voice of the Lord" (Zechariah 6:15) is the condition or share in the coming inheritance of glory: and if we are not laying up a memorial to our eternal remembrance before the Lord as His people, we are laying up a treasure of wrath against the day of wrath. Missionary activity is the sign of spiritual life; the absence of it is the sign of spiritual deadness. Let us then come with all our heart, and build in the temple of the Lord" (Zechariah 6:15). So shall our "prayers and alms," as the fruits of our justification by faith alone, "come up for a memorial before God" (Acts 10:4).