Zachariah 6:14-15 – God’s glorious plan and the coming of Christ

In Zachariah 6:14-15, we come to the third matter. It is about the crown that Zachariah had made to crown Joshua. Though it was used to coronate Joshua, verse 14 said it would be given to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen to be stored as a memorial in the temple of the Lord. What is the significance of this?

The crown, as we know, was made earlier with the gold and silver from the returned exiles. The crown was then used to coronate Joshua. The whole process speaks of the establishment of Messiah’s Kingdom. The crown is a symbol of honor, glory, and authority of the Messiah, given as a reminder of God’s promise to send a Messiah.

To place the crown in the temple now, as Zachariah is instructed in verse 14, signifies hope in the coming of the Messiah to fulfill God’s plan. It is a visual reminder of what God had covenant and His faithfulness.  

Verse 15 speaks of people from afar who would come to help build the temple. These would be the Gentiles who would join forces in building God’s Kingdom. This also tells us that His salvation plan is not for Israel alone but also for the nations.

The people who helped build the temple would be believers from all the nations who contributed to the building and establishment of the temple of God, the church. Zachariah asserted that it was the Lord Almighty who had sent him the message. This attests to the truth of the prophecy.

The last line of verse 15 tells us how critical obedience is for the fulfillment of God’s promise. The fulfillment is tied up with Israel’s obedience and participation. The moment they do, God’s plan will see the blessing and fulfillment of His promises come to fruition.    

Here’s the message of Zachariah 6:11-15 in summary. Jesus Christ, God’s promised Messiah, would come to fulfill both the kingly and priestly roles. He will build the spiritual temple, drawing people from all nations into God’s kingdom. The harmony of His reign that combines kingly authority with priestly mediation offers salvation and peace to the world. The ultimate fulfillment of these promises depends on the obedience and faithfulness of God’s people.

We thank God that we are part of his plan. Remember, we are now God’s occupational force on earth to extend and expand His Kingdom and must go about doing what we are assigned to do.