“‘Branch’ The Priest King” – Warragul Presbyterian Church

Zechariah 6 marks the end of the book’s first section as the prophet receives his eighth vision concerning four horse-drawn chariots which parallels the first vision with its four horses. The judgement that was anticipated in vision one is now made actual as God’s Spirit finds rest in Babylon. Times of peace and rest are the right times for building a temple and we now find more about the temple Yahweh will have built. A man called the ‘Branch’ will accomplish this. The Branch is a figure introduced in the writings of earlier prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah. Zechariah adds to his portrait: he will be someone who combines the roles of king and priest as he establishes God’s dwelling place among his people.