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The Unfinished Temple

The Unfinished Temple: How the Vision of Zechariah Prophesies the Messiah’s Priesthood

Introduction: Hope After the Judgment

Following the seventy-year Babylonian Exile, the Jewish people were allowed to return to their land, and the prophetic focus shifted from the cause of judgment to the necessity of rebuilding. The Temple was the first project, but the people’s enthusiasm waned. The Prophet Zechariah was raised up to inspire the returnees by revealing that the current, humble temple was merely a placeholder for a future, far greater reality—the reign of the Messiah as both King and Priest.

The visions of Zechariah are a crucial Prophetic Hotspot, introducing the unique, final role of Christ that secures the eternal rest at The Lord’s Return.

The Foundational Story: The Crown and the Branch

Zechariah’s visions focus on the immediate tasks of rebuilding and the distant promise of the Messiah. One of the most critical acts was the crowning of the high priest, Joshua, with a silver and gold crown—an act with an impossible dual meaning under the Old Covenant.

The Divine Blueprint

The prophet was commanded to place a crown on the head of the high priest, symbolizing the two offices uniting in one man:

“Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest… 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.” (Zechariah 6:11-13, KJV)

  • The Law of Two Offices: Under the Mosaic Law, the king (from the tribe of Judah) and the high priest (from the tribe of Levi) were strictly separate. The prophecy that the Branch (a Messianic title from Isaiah and Jeremiah) would unite the throne (Kingship) and the priesthood in one person was a radical revelation of the New Covenant.
  • The Final Temple: The prophecy states that He shall build the true Temple. The humble structure rebuilt by the returnees was insufficient. This pointed to the ultimate, perfect Temple—a metaphor for the redeemed community and a literal structure—that will be established by the Messiah.

Prophetic Hotspot: The Priest on the Throne

The promise of a Priest-King is the key to understanding the government of the future Kingdom.

  • Christ’s Unique Priesthood: Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of this vision, being King in the line of David (the throne) and a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (a priesthood that transcends Levi). He is the only One who can stand before God on behalf of man and rule over man on behalf of God.
  • The Final Rule: The Lord’s Return is the moment this vision is physically fulfilled. Christ will take His seat on the Davidic throne in Jerusalem as both Sovereign King (bearing the glory and ruling) and Perfect Priest (maintaining the “counsel of peace” and access to God). The kingdom cannot function without this dual office securing both justice (King) and grace (Priest).

The Return Question: Who Is Your Foundation?

Zechariah exhorted the people to stop viewing the building of the temple through their own meager abilities (“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts”—Zechariah 4:6, KJV) and to look forward to the “Branch.”

If the ultimate promise of the future Kingdom—the eternal Priest on the Throne—is the foundation of our hope, are we, the people awaiting The Lord’s Return, focused on our own efforts and power (the “might” and “power” of the flesh), or are we diligently working by the “spirit” to prepare our hearts for the arrival of the only true King and Priest?