THE PROPHECY OF ZECHARIAH AND THE MERCY OF GOD (Part 6)
The Sprout is Yehoshuah Mashiah
“And say to him, “‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “Here is the man whose name is Sprout. He will sprout from his own place, and he will build the temple of Jehovah. He is the one who will build the temple of Jehovah, and he is the one who will assume the majesty. He will sit down on his throne and rule, and he will also be a priest on his throne, and there will be a peaceable agreement between the two. And the crown will serve as a memorial for Heʹlem, To·biʹjah, Je·daʹiah, and Hen the son of Zeph·a·niʹah, in the temple of Jehovah. And those who are far away will come and take part in building the temple of Jehovah.” And you will have to know that Jehovah of armies has sent me to you. And it will occur — if you do not fail to listen to the voice of Jehovah your God’”” (Zechariah 6:12–15)
Who is Yehoshuah Mashiah? The most famous person in the world: Jesus Christ (Yehoshuah: transliteration in Greek Iêsous and in Latin Jesus. Hebrew name Mashiah, translated into Greek Kristos (Christ in English)). The temple rebuilt by the “Sprout” is not an architectural work, but a spiritual work. The new spiritual temple would be made up of several people, including the “Sprout”, Yehoshuah Mashiah, the “cornerstone”, both king and high priest (Matthew 21:42). When Jehovah God transferred the “Sprout” into the womb of Mary, the Jewish virgin, the angel Gabriel told her this: “And look! you will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule as King over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to his Kingdom”” (Luke 1:31–33). By comparing the words of the angel Gabriel with the prophecy of Zechariah 6:12–14, there is no doubt that the Sprout is Yehoshuah Mashiah.
Zechariah’s prophecy shows that the “cornerstone” of this spiritual temple, would come through the offspring of Zerubbabel: “‘Hear, please, O High Priest Joshua, you and your companions who sit before you, for these men serve as a sign; look! I am bringing in my servant Sprout! See the stone that I have set before Joshua! On the one stone are seven eyes; and I am engraving an inscription on it,’ declares Jehovah of armies, ‘and I will take away the guilt of that land in one day’” (Zechariah 3:8,9; 4: 6,7). This “one stone”, Yehoshuah Mashiah, has indeed become the royal lineage of Zerubbabel (Matthew 1:12,13; Luke 3:27). Zerubbabel was the one who rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem after the return of the people Israel from their exile to Babylon (Zechariah 4: 8). He is described as the one by whom will come the “top stone” (Zechariah 4:7). Finally he is described between the two olive trees, the two anointed ones, it seems obvious that he is a prophetic figure of Jehovah God, through whom comes the Sprout, the cornerstone (Zechariah 4).
The angel Gabriel did not mention the function of king-high priest of the Sprout. It is the apostle Paul who would do it later: “As he also says in another place, “You are a priest forever in the manner of Mel·chizʹe·dek.” (…) because he has been designated by God a high priest in the manner of Mel·chizʹe·dek” (Hebrews 5:6,10; Psalms 110:4). Who was Melkizedek? A king (of Salem) and a priest: “And Mel·chizʹe·dek king of Saʹlem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of the Most High God” (Genesis 14:18).
The Sprout entered in Jerusalem on Nisan 10, 33 CE, as the heir of God’s promise to King David and his offsprings (of which Yehoshuah Mashiah was a part), for a permanent kingship (2 Samuel 7:16; Matthew 1:1–16; Luke 3:23–38)): “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem. Look! Your king is coming to you. He is righteous, bringing salvation, Humble and riding on a donkey, On a colt, the foal of a female donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:6–10).
As Yehoshuah Mashiah (Jesus Christ) mentioned, when he was on earth this Sprout, the “cornerstone” of this reconstructed spiritual temple would be rejected by the builders, or teachers of the nation of Israel: “Jesus said to them: “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone that the builders rejected, this has become the chief cornerstone. This has come from Jehovah, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? This is why I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation producing its fruits” (Matthew 21:42,43; Psalm 118: 22 ). Yehoshuah Mashiah (Jesus Christ) notified his listeners that henceforth God’s special relationship with Israel would end, in accordance with the prophecy of Daniel 9:27a: “And he will keep the covenant in force for the many for one week; and at the half of the week, he will cause sacrifice and gift offering to cease”. This rupture has been announced also in the prophecy of Zechariah chapter 11, because of the contempt of the people of Israel, towards God and his Son: “So I took my staff Pleasantness and cut it up, breaking my covenant that I had made with all the peoples” (Zechariah 11:10). Depending on the context, the covenant “made with all the peoples” is in connection with the 12 tribes of Israel, because God has not made a special covenant with all the nations, but only with the 12 tribes of Israel (The Hebrew word “עַם” (‘am) translated as “people” can take the meaning (depending on the context) of “tribe” (Strong Concordance H5971)).
For the reasons explained in detail in Matthew 23, Yehoshuah Mashiah (Jesus Christ) said this: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent to her — how often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings! But you did not want it. Look! Your house is abandoned to you” (Matthew 23:37,38). They sentenced Yehoshuah Mashiah, to death on Nisan 14, 33 CE, in Jerusalem (Matthew 26:66). This contempt for the Father, Jehovah and his Son, Yoshuah Mashiah, is illustrated in Zechariah: “Then I said to them: “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, withhold them.” And they paid my wages, 30 pieces of silver. Then Jehovah said to me: “Throw it into the treasury — the magnificent value with which they valued me.” So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw it into the treasury at the house of Jehovah. Then I cut up my second staff, the Union, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel” (Zechariah 11:12–14: Matthew 26:14; “30 pieces of silver” being the price of a slave (Exodus 21:32)). No wonder Jehovah decided to “break” his special relationship with the 12 tribes of Israel on earth.
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