the vision will appear sober, just, and pertinent. It teaches us, then,
1 . That Christ is, by his offices, qualified to support and perfect his Church —
[The offices filled by Zerubbabel and Joshua both unite in Christ. He is the High Priest of his Church ; and in that capacity he is now officiating at the right hand of God. He offered himself a sacrifice for us at the appointed time ; and he is now entered with his own blood into the Holy of Holies, to plead the merit of that blood, and to make intercession for us before the mercy-seat of Jehovah. Hence he is called " The Apostle and High-Priest of our profession d ;" and it is from the consideration that we have such an High- Priest, that we are encouraged to hold fast our profession6. Moreover he is a King ; God has " set him as his King upon the holy hill of Zionf." And to this the Apostle Peter bore witness on the day of Pentecost, saying, " God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ g." From the union of these two offices in him arises his ability to build his Church. Were either of them wanting, he would fail ; but, by the concentration of infinite merit and almighty power in his sacred person, he is fully qualified for the work assigned him. This is particularly marked by Zechariah in a following chapter, where he says, " 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 : 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 bothV Thus standing by the Lord of the whole earth, and sustaining in himself the united offices of Zerubbabel and Joshua, he is really to the Church what they were in a shadow, the source of all that is necessary for her spiritual edification."]
2. That the fulness which is in him is expressly committed to him, for the use and benefit of his Church —
[" It has pleased the Lord that in Him should all fulness dwell'." But for whose sake is it committed to him? His own? No ; but ours. He appears in heaven, not in a private, but public
d Heb. iii. 1.
e Heb. iv. 14 — 16. and ix. 11, 12. and x. 21, 22.
f Ps. ii. 6. s Acts ii. 36.
h Zech. vi. 12, 13. It is remarkable, that in this passage, where our Lord is called a King and a Priest, he is particularly designated as The Branch.
i Col. i. 19.