“And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile...” Ezekiel 43:7

One of the most awe inspiring teachings in the Bible is the coming of King Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, to establish His everlasting Kingdom on earth.  He will be coming in awesome power and glory.  The coming of King Messiah will be supernatural, and the entire earth will be shaken at His presence.  He is coming with the “clouds of heaven,” which is a term for the believers in heaven with Him.  In the New Testament, the “clouds of heaven” is also referred to as the “armies of heaven.”

Revelation 19:14 “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”

When the Lord Jesus returns at His second coming, He will have with Him a huge host of believers.  This is going to be an incredible event.  The prophet Daniel wrote about His coming.  The Scriptures follow:

Daniel 7:13 “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

(14) And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

Everyone living at this time will see the awesome coming of the Son of Man to establish His Kingdom.  The coming of King Messiah to establish His Kingdom is also referred to as the second coming of Jesus of Nazareth.  His coming is going to affect every living being on the earth.  What an awesome day this will be, when the Lord returns in awesome glory to establish His everlasting kingdom on earth.

Revelation 1:7 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.”

When King Messiah returns, it will be to Israel and the city of Jerusalem .   Jerusalem will be the future spiritual, political and economic center of the earth.  The Bible shows that the coming of King Messiah will be triggered by the armies of the world gathered in the Middle East to destroy Israel and capture Jerusalem .  There will be a worldwide upheaval at this time and incredible wars that kill one-third of mankind.

The Lord Jesus will return directly to Jerusalem and defend His covenant people Israel from the nations which have gathered to destroy them.  He will instantly destroy the armies that have gathered together to try and annihilate Israel .  The Bible gives a vivid description of what is going to happen to these armies and how they are going to be annihilated.  These Scriptures follow:

Zechariah 14:2 “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

(3) Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (4) And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east...

(12) And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem ; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.”

At the time of His coming, there will be a tremendous geographical upheaval in the nations, but especially in Israel .  There will be massive earthquakes that will shake the entire earth and flatten the cities of the world.  The Mount of Olives, which is just east of Mount Zion , will split in two and create a huge valley.

Through all this geographical upheaval, a huge area around Jerusalem will be made a plain and raised up like a high mountain.  A river will flow from the temple in Jerusalem to both the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the Dead Sea to the east.

The setting for the coming of King Messiah will be tremendous geographical changes to Israel and Jerusalem .  The Bible calls this time period the Day of the Lord.  The prophet Zechariah shows that the Day of the Lord has four phases.

The first phase is when all the nations are gathering together to try and take Jerusalem ; the second is the coming of the Lord Jesus to destroy these nations; the third is the building of the temple; and the final phase is when the Lord Jesus rules on the throne of David from Jerusalem .

Some of the key Scriptures regarding the Day of the Lord’s phases and the geographic changes to Jerusalem follow:

The Day of the Lord and the nations gathered to battle against Jerusalem .  First Phase:

Zechariah 14:1 “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. (2) For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.”

The massive earthquake.  Second Phase:

Zechariah 14:4 “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

(5) And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah : and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.”

The plain around Jerusalem will rise like a high mountain.  Third Phase:

Zechariah 14:10 “All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.

(11) And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.”

King Messiah ruling from the throne of David.  Fourth Phase:

Isaiah 2:3 “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

Ezekiel 43:7 “And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever…”

After King Messiah returns and destroys the armies of the nations, He will build a magnificent temple in Jerusalem .  The temple will be built on the high plain that now encompasses Jerusalem .  He will sit on His throne in this temple as King over all the nations.  This temple on Mount Zion will be the spiritual and political center of the entire earth.

Ezekiel identifies this future massive plain that Jerusalem is on as a very high mountain.  The Scriptures to show that the temple will be built on this high plain that is Jerusalem follow:

Ezekiel 40:2 “In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel , and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.”

Ezekiel 43:12 “This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.”

Building of the Temple

Zechariah 6:11 “Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;

(12) 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:

(13) 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.”

The above section of the Bible is absolutely critical to understanding the role of King Messiah in the temple.  These Scriptures need a very close examination to grasp fully what God is saying through the prophet Zechariah.  The key to understanding these Scriptures is the Branch and the information developed about Him.  When the message is understood, the key chapters of Ezekiel 40-48 about the temple become very clear.

The prophets Zechariah and Haggai wrote immediately after the Babylonian captivity.  When the Jews returned, they found the city and temple destroyed.  They began to rebuild the temple under the direction of Zerubbabel who was the governor and Joshua the high priest.  Haggai wrote to encourage the building of the temple.  Zechariah then uses the building of the second temple to show what is going to take place with the building of the Messiah’s temple.

When Zechariah wrote these Scriptures, the second temple was already under construction for about five months.  The prophet Haggai spoke the word of the LORD in the second year of the rule of king Darius on the first of the sixth month.  The order went out from the LORD to build the temple.  Zerubbabel and Joshua responded by starting the construction, Haggai 1:1,2,12.  When Zechariah wrote chapter six the temple had been under construction for five months, Zechariah 1:7.

Zechariah, at the direction of the LORD, makes crowns of gold and silver for a king.  He then places the crowns on the head of Joshua the high priest.  God’s high priest never wore the crown of a king, instead he wore a head covering called a mitre.  Today, a mitre would be called a turban.  Zechariah then addresses the high priest with the crowns of a king on his head as, “Behold the man whose name is the BRANCH.”  The high priest was used as an object lesson to reveal the BRANCH.

Zechariah 6:12 “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:”

Zechariah used the building of the second temple and the high priest as an object lesson.  The temple was already under construction, but the prophet was talking about a future temple.  This person, the Branch, is going to build this temple of the LORD.  He is going to sit and rule upon His throne.  When He is sitting as King, He will also function as the High Priest.  The combination of Him being a King and High Priest is going to bring peace.

Zechariah 6:13 “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.”

The Branch then becomes a very key figure.  The prophet goes on to say that the Branch shall build the temple.  In fact, the prophet emphasizes this by twice stating that the Branch is going to build the temple.  He says this in verse 12 and again in verse 13.

With the object lesson of the high priest wearing crowns, it is clear that the Branch is being addressed as two office holders.  He is both a king and priest in one person.  The identity of the Branch is very important.

The Branch cannot be Zerubbabel.  The kingdom was taken away from Judah at this time, and the Jews were under the authority of the Persians.  Darius was king and Zerubbabel was only a mere governor under Darius.  Zerubbabel never ruled as a king on the throne of David, and he never bore the glory.  Zerubbabel never functioned as a priest and Joshua never functioned as a king.

It is impossible for this section of Scripture to be Zerubbabel or Joshua or a combination of them both.  This is a prophecy about one individual who is identified as the Branch.  The throne mentioned is the throne of David.  The Branch, being King Messiah, will sit on the throne of David.  It is very important to realize the throne that the Branch will sit on is the throne of David.  There will be only one throne when the Branch is ruling.

The prophet used Joshua as both king and high priest to show what the Branch was going to do in the future.  He was going to build the final temple of the LORD.  This is the temple which will be built by King Messiah and described in Ezekiel chapters 40-48.

The Bible uses the name, the BRANCH, as an identifier of King Messiah.  The Branch is a term to signify King Messiah who is a direct descendant of King David.  The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah all refer to King Messiah as the Branch.  It is the Branch of David, King Messiah, who will build the magnificent temple of Ezekiel 40-48 from which He shall rule the nations.

Thus the Bible very clearly teaches that the Branch is going to build His temple.  He is going to hold the office of both King and High Priest.  As He sits as both King and Priest, He is going to bear the glory, and there will be worldwide peace under Him.  This is the everlasting kingdom that was promised to David.

The Hebrew word for Branch is tsemach, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance number 6780.  It literally means a sprout and gives the picture of something growing.  The Branch then, is King Messiah, who is a descendant of David.  The Hebrew word tsemach is only found nine times in the Bible and five times it is translated Branch.

Each time the word is translated Branch, it gives an additional picture of the Messiah.  The first use is by Isaiah who describes the Branch as beautiful and glorious.  Isaiah also shows the time when the Branch will reign.  The time frame will be during King Messiah’s reign on earth when Israel will be called holy.  This verse follows:

Isaiah 4:2 “In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel . (3) And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:”

Jeremiah gives very important Scriptures about King Messiah being the Branch of David. He states that God is going to raise up a righteous Branch to David.  The Branch will be King over all the earth.  He will execute judgment and justice in earth.   Israel will dwell safely.  This is the same time frame when King Messiah is ruling over the earth.  King Messiah and the Branch of David are one and the same.  The Branch will be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.  Jeremiah without any doubt shows that the Branch is King Messiah.

Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. (6) In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Jeremiah uses the Hebrew word tsemach for a second time to identify King Messiah as the Branch of David.  In Chapter 33, he again refers to King Messiah as the Branch of righteousness from David.  The Branch is going to execute judgment and righteousness in the land and there will be peace and safety.  When the Branch is ruling, Jerusalem will be referred to as the LORD our righteousness.  This is because of the presence of the Branch in the city.

Jeremiah 33:15 “In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. (16) In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.”

The next reference to the Branch is found in Zechariah.  The prophet refers to the Branch as God’s Servant and thus it becomes a very important reference.  King Messiah, the Branch and God’s Servant are all one person.

Zechariah shows that when God brings forth His Servant, that iniquity is going to be removed from the people in one day.  There is then a direct connection between God’s Servant, the Branch, and the cleansing from sin.  The Scriptures to show this follow:

Zechariah 3:8 “Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.

(9) For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.”

The last reference in the Bible to the Branch is found in Zechariah 6, showing the Messiah to be both King and Priest.  From the previous verses, it is clear that the Branch is the King Messiah, and He is going to rule in righteousness over the entire earth.  He will bring peace and safety not only to Israel , but to all the nations of the world.

Zechariah clearly states that King Messiah is going to build the temple, and He is going to be both King and High Priest.  He is going to sit on His throne, the throne of David and bear the glory.

There is no doubt that Zechariah 6:11-13 is an object lesson to what the Branch is going to do and what He is going to be.  He will sit on the throne as both King and High Priest, and He will bear the glory.  The Scriptures to show this follow:

Zechariah 6:12 “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:

(13) 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.”

When studying the Scriptures about the temple in Ezekiel chapters 40-48, it is critical to remember that the Messiah will build this temple and sit on the throne of David as both King and High Priest.  This is the foundation for understanding the rest of the Scriptures about the temple.  Without this understanding, the Messiah’s temple can be very confusing.  With King Messiah sitting on the throne of David in the temple, everything else about the temple fits perfectly together.

By John McTernan: Defend and Proclaim the Faith
Blog: John McTernan's Insights at www.johnmcternan.name