Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jozadak. Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ (Zechariah 6:11-13 NIV)
Zechariah was a prophet who served during the early days after Israel began to return from Babylonian exile. Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, and Joshua, the high priest, led the people as they worked to reestablish themselves in their homeland. But, even though they were home, they were still under the authority of the Persian empire and, in a very real sense, still in exile.
So the message Zechariah delivered to the people in this passage would have been encouraging….
