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Zechariah

About this book
Chapter 6

1 Once more I looked, and this time I saw four chariots emerging from between two mountains of bronze. 2 Harnessed to the first chariot were red horses, to the second black horses, 3 to the third white horses, and to the fourth spotted horses, all of them strong. 4 Then I asked the angelic messenger who was speaking with me, “What are these, sir?” 5 The messenger replied, “These are the four spirits of heaven going out after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The chariot with the black horses is going to the north country, and the white ones are going after them, but the spotted ones are going to the south country. 7 All these strong ones are scattering; they have sought permission to go and walk about over the earth.” The Lord had said, “Go! Walk about over the earth!” So they are doing so. 8 Then he cried out to me, “Look! The ones going to the northland have brought me peace about the northland.” 9 The Lord’s message came to me as follows: 10 “Choose some people from among the exiles, namely, Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, all who have come from Babylon, and when you have done so go to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Then take some silver and gold to make a crown and set it on the head of Joshua the high priest, the son of Jehozadak. 12 Then say to him, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, “Look—here is the man whose name is Branch, who will sprout up from his place and build the temple of the Lord.⁠ 13 Indeed, he will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed in splendor, sitting as king on his throne. Moreover, there will be a priest with him on his throne and they will see eye to eye on everything. 14 The crown will then be turned over to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the Lord. 15 Then those who are far away will come and build the temple of the Lord so that you may know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me to you. This will all come to pass if you completely obey the voice of the Lord your God.”’”⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare Zechariah 6:12 and John 2:19

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

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Summary

Zechariah describes a figure called the “Branch” who will grow out of the fallen tree of the Davidic line to rebuild the temple, a depiction of authority. In John, Jesus refers to this tradition when speaking of raising the temple in three days.

Passages

Zechariah 6:12

Hebrew Bible
10 “Choose some people from among the exiles, namely, Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, all who have come from Babylon, and when you have done so go to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Then take some silver and gold to make a crown and set it on the head of Joshua the high priest, the son of Jehozadak. 12 Then say to him, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, “Look—here is the man whose name is Branch, who will sprout up from his place and build the temple of the Lord. 13 Indeed, he will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed in splendor, sitting as king on his throne. Moreover, there will be a priest with him on his throne and they will see eye to eye on everything. 14 The crown will then be turned over to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the Lord.
500–401 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Zechariah

John 2:19

New Testament
15 So he made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple courts, with the sheep and the oxen. He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will devour me.” 18 So then the Jewish leaders responded, “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” 19 Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20 Then the Jewish leaders said to him, “This temple has been under construction for 46 years, and are you going to raise it up in three days?” 21 But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body.
90–110 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in John

References

"... John reports that at this point Jesus also said, "I will destroy this Temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands" (Mark 14:58; compare Matt. 26:61). In Mark (14:57-59), however, this is the testimony of a false witness. If it was true that Jesus really said that he would rebuild the Temple, then Caiaphas, the Sadducee, was not listening to rabbinic fantasies. There is a biblical verse which was understood by all to speak about the Messiah, who would build the Temple. 'The man whose name is Branch ... he shall build the Temple of God' (Zech. 6:12). The Branch was generally understood to be a designation for the Messiah. It's therefore logical to suppose that if Jesus said that he would build the Temple, he confessed that he was the Messiah. Likewise, it would be logical for the high priest to respond and ask him 'Are you then the Christ?' ..."
David Flusser and R. Steven Notley, Jesus (Jerusalem: Magnes, 1997), 138–141.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Zechariah 6:12 and John 2:19

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