represent themselves, at some future period of their history, but they are symbols of other things and persons. The uniform nature, therefore, of all the preceding visions, decides that the action here described is symbolical, and that it does not symbolise any thing referring to Joshua, but to some one else. The symbols selected point out, first, that that person is to be a high-priest. Secondly, as Joshua was engaged in the building of a temple, the person symbolised should also build a temple. Thirdly, that he is to be crowned, that is, also to be a king. And, Fourthly, that persons from a distance, symbolised by those who had come from Babylon, should acknowledge his royal dignity, as these men contributed the gold and silver to make the crown.

The verbal prophecy promises the same particulars. First," he shall be a priest upon his throne." Secondly, "he shall build the temple of the Lord." Thirdly," he shall bear the glory" (Tin, the majesty *), and shall sit and rule upon his throne. "And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the Lord." It is not necessary to point out the well-known passages which prove that these four particulars are all features in Messiah's character, and in that of no one else. It is also easy to identify these features in the character of Jesus of Nazareth. He is represented in the New Testament as a high-priest, as a King; and it is certain that the Gentiles, who were then afar off, have acknowledged his dignity. The only apparent difficulty is the building of the temple. Did he build a temple? The nature of all the preceding visions removes this. The symbols represented something else, not any thing identical. The temple here spoken of cannot, therefore, be a literal temple, but something else that is symbolised; it is his natural and mystical body. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John ii. 19.) "In whom ye also are builded * Hengstenberg, Christologie, part ii. p. 77.

together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Eph. ii. 22.)

The above remarks are sufficient to vindicate the Christian interpretation, but there is one feature in the verbal prophecy, on which I wish to say a few words. Vitringa and others interpret the personal pronoun "his," in the words, "He shall sit and rule upon his throne, and shall be a priest upon his throne," as referring to God, meaning that the Messiah should rule and be a priest upon the throne of God. Hengstenberg objects to this interpretation, but assigns no solid reasons for his dissent. The whole

context appears to me not only to warrant, but to require this interpretation. The prophecy begins with promising Messiah as a man. "Behold! a man. Branch is his name." It then states what he should do. "He shall build (it is said, not his own temple, but) the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne, and be a priest upon his throne." Here the structure of the sentence appears to me to lead the mind naturally to Him whose is the temple. But the concluding words, "And the counsel of peace shall be between them both," seem to me absolutely to require it. Who are the "both," between whom the counsel of peace is to be? Hengstenberg and others answer, the kingly estate and the priesthood; but this seems harsh and contrary to fact. The counsel concerning peace is not between Christ's kingly and priestly office, but between the Deity and Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah. The words "between them both," naturally convey to the mind the idea of two personal agents, not two offices. The only two personal agents mentioned in the preceding words, are, "The man whose name is the Branch, and "The Lord." To them, therefore, we naturally refer the words. If the word King had occurred in the text, that is, if the prophet had written, "He shall be a king upon his throne, and a priest upon his throne," Hengstenberg's interpretation would

have had some colour, but the absence of this, along with the other reasons, serves to confirm Vitringa's opinion. This interpretation also agrees with the parallel passages in Isaiah and Jeremiah, where both the natures of Messiah are distinctly mentioned. In Isaiah iv. 2, "The branch of the Lord" is the divine nature. "The fruit of the earth," the human nature. In Jer. xxiii. 5, “I will raise up unto David a righteous Branch," is the human nature. "And this is the name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD our righteousness," is the divine nature. And so the prophecy under consideration concludes with a declaration that would naturally lead Zechariah to conclude, that the Lord himself should be the person here promised. The Lord who had been speaking to Zechariah all the way through says to him, “And ye shall know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me unto you."

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CHAPTER VII.

1, 2. "And it came to pass

אַתָּה

when they had sent"

and he

(literally, " and it came to pass sent"). The meaning is, after they had sent.* [The conjunction has frequently this signification] as in Isaiah Ixiv. 4 (5):-) AER MAN 10, "Behold thou wast angry when we sinned"+ [according to Kimchi]. And again, Lev. ix. 22, nsyon niby, "When ‡ he descended from offering the sin-offering," and other like. The sense is, After he had sent, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah. It is not said who sent. Some interpreters say that (Bethel), "the house of the Lord," is the name of a man, and that he sent Sherezer and Regemmelech and his men from the captivity to Jerusalem. But the correct interpretation is, that is to be taken literally of the house of the Lord. Jonathan has, "And he sent to Bethel." The senders were the children of the captivity, and though the singular number “He sent” is used, it is to be taken collectively; as in the third verse, "Shall I weep as I have done." The messengers were Sherezer and Regemmelech and his

men.

"Regemmelech."-A man who had this name, and he brought his men with him; and that is what is meant by the words," and his men." These came to Jerusalem to pray before the Lord, for the children of the captivity had sent by their hand to make inquiry, and to say to the priests and the prophets, "Shall I weep?"

3. "To speak to the priests

* As our translators have it.

in the house of the

See this passage quoted above, chap. iii. 5, p. 36.
Our translation has And.

Lord."—

is the same as . Jonathan has, "Who

serve in the temple of the Lord.”*

"And to the prophets.”—Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. But Jonathan has "to the scribes."

"Should I weep?"--For as yet they did not believe in the building of the temple, on account of the enemies who had caused the work to cease for many years; and now, although they had heard that they were building, they were weak in faith, and did not wish to go up from Babylon, for they did not believe that the building of the temple would be finished and would stand because of these enemies; they therefore asked whether they should fast on the 9th of Av, as they had done during the seventy years.

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Separating myself." is the infinitive. The meaning is, "Shall I separate myself from eating, and drinking, and delights." Jonathan has interpreted it, "Shall I withhold myself from delights."

3. "Then came the word of the Lord."- Here it is said, "In the fifth† month, and in the seventh month,"

So our translators have rendered it.

† The fast of the 5th month happens on the 9th day of the month. The reason why the Jews fast on this day are thus given by Maimonides: -"On the ninth of Av, five things happened. 1st. The decree went forth in the wilderness that the people should not enter the land. 2d. The first and second temple were both destroyed on this day. 3d. The great city Bither was taken, in which were thousands and myriads of Israel; and they had a great king, whom all Israel and the greatest of the wise men thought was the King Messiah: but, 4th, he fell into the hands of the Gentiles, and they were all put to death, and the affliction was great, even like the desolation of the house of the sanctuary. 5th. On that day, devoted to punishment, the wicked Turnus Rufus ploughed up the sanctuary and the parts about, to fulfil that which was said, Zion shall be ploughed as a field.'" (Mich. iii. 12.) (Jad Hachasakah. Hilchoth Taanith., c. 5.)

6

The fast of the seventh is that of the 3d day of Tisri. The Jews fast on this day, "Because on it Gedaliah the son of Ahikam was slain, and thus was quenched the coal of Israel that had been left." (Ibid. See also Jer. xli. 2.)